The Wealth of the Nations – GOD, Israel and the Church

by Ian Norton,

Having lived here in the Land of Israel 27 years, and having the privilege of being witness to many miraculous changes… with shame I say one gets ‘used’ to seeing the so many extraordinary moves of GOD here. So how refreshing to ‘wake up’ to the news these past few weeks that really struck home, once again, the enormity of just what is unfolding here.

INTEL BUYING MOBILEYE FOR $15 BILLION IN BIGGEST ISRAELI HI-TECH DEAL EVER
U.S giant Intel Corp. said Monday that it has agreed to buy Mobileye, a Jerusalem-based developer of advanced vision and driver assistance systems, for $15.3 billion.

SHEKEL CEMENTS POSITION AS ONE OF WORLD’S STRONGEST CURRENCIES
The shekel has appreciated by 6% against the Dollar over the past year • Israeli currency is also hovering at a 15-year peak against the Euro.

NOBLE ENERGY GIVES GO-AHEAD TO DEVELOP LEVIATHAN GAS FIELD
Netanyahu hails milestone for Israeli economy, regional cooperation; consortium hopes to bring offshore reserve online by 2019

Upon my arrival in Israel a trip to a supermarket offered very few options… 3 types of bread…. 5 types of cheese… 2 types of milk and various other staples, but without choice…
Now… aisles and aisles of what Israel is producing, fill ever expanding supermarket shelves to overflowing… yes what a miraculous 69 years.

CAN YOU IMAGINE MARK TWAIN USING A MOBILE EYE TO NAVIGATE THE HOLY LAND?

Mark Twain noted when passing through here in 1867
“….. A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds… a silent mournful expanse…. a desolation…. we never saw a human being on the whole route…. hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”

That is until the reestablishment of the state of Israel in 1948.

This article is not about celebrating wealth… or the ingenuity, talents or ‘out of the box’ thinking that so dynamically make Israel unique. It is however about acknowledging GOD’s Hand in restoring what was a desolate land for centuries. In this we do celebrate… that we are witness to fulfillment of scripture accelerating to the place where this tiny Land of Israel begins shall reflect GOD’s Shekinah Glory and become that ‘Light unto the nations’

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. (Isaiah 35:1)

The biblical size of these blessings coming into and out of Israel is something one cannot explain away with statements such as…‘just clever Jews’ or ‘what luck’ – No, not at all… these events are fulfilment of scripture where GOD says he shall bless Israel with an abundance… and more… GOD even enrolls the nations to become part of that blessing. In Genesis 12:3 for example… “I shall bless those that bless thee…”

Some have unfortunately understood the ‘thee’ to mean ‘the Church’ or have even been ‘led’ to believe this verse was to benefit the church that it may spread the gospel. ‘The wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come’. (Isaiah 60:5)

Does GOD really need to invest billions of dollars into church projects to ‘spread the Gospel’? I mean, did HE not turn the world upside down with 12 disciples who were told to “…preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. (Luke 9:2-3)

The transfer of wealth for these days is however, for the benefit of the Jewish people, to return to their homeland, and prepare for their Messiah.

‘Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring the wealth of the nations’ (Isaiah 60:11)

Preparations for this can be seen all around Jerusalem. Massive construction projects widening the lanes up Mount Zion and express rail links from the airport to Jerusalem. The kind of infrastructure developments that would only be required to transport the numbers expected from the nations to worship the King of Kings in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles.

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16)

Getting in line with GOD’s promises toward Israel and the Jewish people is only safe place to be… spiritually of course but also financially… and especially in these days. The so much evidence of  ungodly ventures collapsing before our very eyes, why would anyone want to invest in anything less?

Blessings from Jerusalem.

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